Variable shading device



Jan. 22,1963 R. e. ELLlS VARIABLE SHADING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30. 1960 Ul HI U! U U HU IIU IIU II nil U I Ill UPI l L L i [L ll L )NI EIVToR. 6-, [7/73.

Jan. 22, 1963 R. e. ELLIS VARIABLE SHADING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30. 1960 F? l a azwz/ R m m w.

5 /%//a Z7233: I BY United States Patent Ofiice 3,74,127 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 3,074,127 VARIABLE SHADING DEVICE Rollo G. Ellis, Birmingham, Mich, assignor of one-third to Peter H. Wayne, Detroit, Mich. Filed Mar. 30, 19%, Ser. No. 18,666 6 Claims. (6!. 20--62) This invention relates to shading devices, and particularly to a shading device having a plurality of louvers which are adjustable to different positions.

With the advent of picture windows, difiiculty has been experienced in controlling the admission of light into a room containing such a window, especially when the window faces the sun. Draw curtains have been employed but are considered objectionable as they shut out most of the light and prevent one from seeing through the window.

The present invention pertains to a set of louvers of substantial length and width sufficient to overlap the ends of the window, and to cover the entire height thereof. The louvers are spaced apart an amount substantially equal to the width thereof by a plurality of spacing sleeves which have a supporting cable extending therethrough and through the louvers. The upper ends of the cables are supported in an eye, while the lower ends are secured to a coil spring which have their lower ends secured to an eye in the building or in an anchoring element in the ground. Any number of the supporting cables may be employed, depending upon the length of the louvers and the strength of the material from which they are con structed. The outer edge of the louvers is preferably of channel-shape to provide strength thereto along the longitudinal length thereof. The apertures for the cables provided through the louvers are oif-center toward the outer channel shaped edge, leaving a greater width toward the window. Adjacent to the inner edge toward the window, additional apertures are provided through the louvers, preferably in alignment with the first said apertures. A pull cable extends through the louvers and the spacing sleeves therebetween in engagement with a spring at the lower end which is secured to the lower anchoring eye of the first said cable. The upper ends of the pull cables pass through pulleys secured in the top anchoring eyes of the first said cables. The pull cables are connected together and to a motor operated crank arm which pulls the inner ends of the louvers upwardly to thereby cut off the sun to any desirable degree. Upon reversing the motor, the springs at the bottom of the pull cables draw the louvers into horizontal position or any angular position below or above the horizontal position.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a set of spaced louvers adjacent to the extension of a window, which may be tilted to different angular positions for controlling the amount of light passing therebetween; to separate a plurality of louvers by spacer sleeves disposed therebetween on cables passing therethrough and held taut by springs at the bottom ends pulling downward on fixed upper ends, the spacer sleeves being rounded so that the louvers can rock thereon; to provide a plurality of rockable louvers with a series of cables near an outer edge having spacer sleeves with rounded ends disposed therebetween which rock the louvers when the cables move through pulleys when drawn by a motor against the bias of and assisted by springs at the bottom of the cables, and, in general, to provide a shade for outdoor light which is simple in construction, positive in operation, and eco nomical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a plurality of louvers,

which embody features of the present invention, shown mounted before a window;

FIG. 2 is a broken view, partly in section, disclosing a motor and the operating elements for tilting the louvers illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 33 thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken on the line 44 thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, as viewed from the line 5-5 thereof.

Any number of louvers 10 may be employed to make up the light shielding element of the present invention, with the number, width and length of the louvers being such as to overlap the area to be shaded. To provide strength to the louvers, one or both ends may be flanged downwardly at 11, and further flanged inwardly at 12 which provide further strength thereto. The louvers may be made of any sheet material known in the art to be suitable. Durable paper-board, plywood board, aluminum, steel or other sheet metal may be employed, so long as it can stand exposure to the weather when employed outside. In the present instance, the louvers were made of aluminum and specifically in some instances aluminum sidings were employed to cover the wall of a building.

The louvers are supported on a plurality of cables 13, having the upper end formed into a loop 14 when the reversed cable end is secured by a clamping band 15. The louvers have apertures which permit the cables to be strung therethrough and rest between the ends of hollow spacing elements 16 provided on the cable therebetween. The spacing elements may be made of wood, metal, plastic or other suitable material, those herein illustrated being made of nylon plastic material. The ends of the spacing elements are rounded as at 17 to permit the tilting of .the louvers relative thereto. The first set of cables for supporting the louvers at difierent elevations from the ground have a collar 18 thereon with a turn 19 taken thereabout to produce a positive lock which permits the collar 18 to be adjusted upwardly or downwardly on the cable through the loosening of the turn or loop 19, which locks the collar in position when tightened. The ends of the cables are reversely looped and secured by a clamping collar 15'to form loops 14 which are engaged by eyes 24 of springs 23, the opposite ends of which engage eyes 21 which are anchored in a suitable manner, herein illustrated as by anchoring blocks 22 which are secured in the ground. Any number of the cables are employed for supporting the louvers, depending upon the structural strength and the length thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 1, four'of the supporting cables are utilized in the assembly therein illustrated. It will be noted that the cables are mounted in off-center relation, being closer to the ends having the channel flanges 11 and 12 thereon which are remote from the window.

The opposite ends of the louvers are provided with apertures through which pull cables 30 extend, being threaded through spacing elements 16 between the louvers. The lower end of the pull cables 30 is provided with loops 31 through the clamping of the reversed end of the cable to the adjacent portion thereof by the clamping bands 15 in the conventional manner. The loops 31 are threaded into eyes 32 of springs 33, the opposite ends of which are secured also to the eyes 21 of the anchoring blocks 22, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. The upper end of the pull cables 3i) pass through pulleys having eyes 35 secured to the eyes 10 which support the upper end of the supporting cables 13. The eyes 10 are illustrated as being secured to the under plate 36 of the overhang portion of the building roof.

The pull cable 30 at the right-hand end of the assembly has an extension 38 which passes through a pulley 39 and also through a pulley 34, as illustrated in FIG. 3. A clamping element 41 secures the end of the other pull cables 30 to the pull cable extension 38, to have the pull cables 30 operated by the cable extension 38. The clamping element 41, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5,ernbodies a sleeve portion 42 and an arm portion 43 in extension thereof. The sleeve portions are anchored to the cables 30 and the cable 38 has loop portion 48 extending through a slot in the arm portions 43 and secured in position'by pins 47. The end 45 of the cable extension 33, which is adjacent to the left-hand end of the assembly, is formed into a loop 46 by the clamping band 15. Each of the pull cables 30 may be released from the cable extension 38 by removing the'pin 47 and having the arm portion 43 of the clamping element 41 removed from over the loop 48 of the cable extension.

The loop 46 on the end 45 of the cable extension 38 is connected to a stud 52 on a crank arm ssor a speed reduction unit 54 provided at one end of a motor 55 mounted within the overhang portion of the roof on the under plate 36 in a conventional manner. It is to be understood that the end loop 46 may be connected on a manually actuated lever which may be adjusted from the outside or which may extend within the building to be operated therein from a position adjacent to the window. The motor is connected into a circuit the conventional manner and operated by a switch within the circuit located at a convenient point near the area to be shielded by the louvers.

Upon closing a circuit when operating the switch the motor is driven, the crank arm 53 is operated to pull the cable 45 and therefore the other of the series of cables which are fastened thereto and to each other. This moves the louvers from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to some other position in angular relation thereto, such as to the position illustrated in dash-and-dot line. It is to be understood that the louvers will rock upon the rounded ends 17 of the spacing element 16 and adjust themselves relative thereto when tilted from the horizontal position. The first 180 operation of the crank arm 53 closes the louvers while the further 180 operation releases the cable 45 and the other cables connected thereto and to each other, permitting the springs 33 to tilt the louvers back to horizontal position or to any angular position relative thereto. The holding of the switch in closed position drives the motor to adjust the louvers to a desired position, the release of the switch stopping the motor with the louvers adjusted.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that other means than the eyes 21 in the anchoring block 22 and the eyes in the under plate 36 may be employed for securing the ends of the cable 13. It is also to be understood that the louvers may be ribbed, edge-flanged and otherwise formed to provide strength throughout the length thereof, and that a fibre glass material could also be employed. The pull cables may be drawn through separate pulleys and secured directly to the stud 52, to be directly controlled thereby. All of such changes and arrangements are within the skill of those familiar with the'various light control devices now known in the art.

What is claimed is:

' 1. In a device for controlling the admission of light, including a plurality of louvers of substantial length and of a width greater than the spacing thereof, supporting cables passing through said louvers, spacing elements on said cables for spacing the louvers from each other, loops 'on the end of the cables, a plurality of pairs of eyes on top and'bottom supports for receiving said loops, a spring between the lower loops and said supporting eyes, pull cables at one edge of said louvers having said spacing means thereon between the louvers, springs connecting the ends of said pull cables to said bottom eyes, pulleys on said upper eyes through which said pull cables extend, and operating means for pulling said pull cables to thereby 'tilt said louvers on said supporting cable.

2. In a device for controlling the admission of light, including a plurality of louvers of substantial length and of a width greater than the spacing thereof, supporting cables passing through said louvers, spacing elements on said cables for spacing the louvers from each other, loops on the end of the cables, a plurality of pairs of eyes on top and bottom supports for receiving said loops, a spring 7 between the lower loops and said supporting eyes, pull cables at one edge of said louvers having said spacing means thereon between the louvers, springs connecting the ends of said pullcables to said bottom eyes, pulleys on said upper eyes through which said pull cables extend, and operating means for pulling said pull cables to thereby tilt said louvers on said supporting cable, the pull cable adjacent to said pull means being directly secured thereto with the pull cables more remote therefrom being secured to the next adjacent pull cable so that the pull portion of each cable is in extension of the portion of the pull cable ahead thereof.

3. In a device for controlling the admission of light, including a plurality of louvers of substantial length and of a width greater than the spacing thereof, supporting cables passing through said louvers, spacing elements on said cables for spacing the louvers from each other, loops on the end of the cables, a plurality of pairs of eyes on top and bottom supports for receiving said loops, a spring between the lower loops and said supporting eyes, pull cables at one edge of said louvers having said spacing means thereon between the louvers, springs connecting the ends of said pull cables to said bottom eyes, pulleys on said upper eyes through which said pull cables extend, and operating means for pulling said pull cables to thereby tilt said louvers on said supporting cable, the pull cable adjacent to said pull means being directly secured thereto with the pull cables more remote therefrom being secured to the next adjacent pull cable so that the pull portion of each cable is in extension of the portion of the pull cable ahead thereof, said securing means being a clip having a cylindrical portion for attachment to the pull cable and an arm portion containing a slot through which a loop of the cable thereahead extends and is secured in position by means extending through said loop.

4. In a device for controlling the admission of light, including a plurality of louvers of substantial length and of a width greater than the spacing thereof, supporting cables passing through said louvers, spacing elements on said cables for spacing the louvers from each other, loops on the end of the cables, a plurality of pairs of eyes on top and bottom supports for receiving said loops, a spring between the lower loops and said supporting eyes, pull cables at one edge of said louvers having said spacing means thereon between the louvers, springs connecting the ends of said pull cables to said bottom eyes, pulleys on said upper eyes through which said pull cables extend, and operating means for pulling said pull cables to thereby tilt said louvers on said supporting cable, the pull cable adjacent to said pull means being directly secured thereto with the pull cables more remote therefrom being secured to the next adjacent pull cable so that the pull portion of each cable is in extension of the portion of the pull cable ahead thereof, said securing means being a clip having a cylindrical portion for attachment to the pull cable and an arm portion containing a slot through which a loop of the cable thereahead extends and is secured in position by means extending through said loop, said pull means being an electric motor and a speed reducer having crank arm thereon.

5. In a device for controlling the admission of light, including a plurality of louvers of substantial length and of, a width greater than the spacing thereof, supporting cables passing through said louvers, spacing elements on said cables for spacing the louvers from each other, loops 'on the end of the cables, a plurality of pairs of eyes on top and bottom supports for receiving said loops, a spring between the lower loops and said supporting eyes, pull cables at one edge of said louvers having said spacing means thereon between the louvers, springs connecting the ends of said pull cables to said bottom eyes, pulleys on said upper eyes through which said pull cables extend, operating means for pulling said pull cables to thereby tilt said louvers on said supporting cable, and a ring through which a loop of the supporting cable extends beneath the lowermost louver by which the louvers are adjusted in height relative to the bottom eye.

6. In a light control device mounted in front of a window on the outside of a building for controlling the passage of light thereinto, a plurality of wide louvers of thin sheet material of substantial length having apertures therethrough, cables extending through said apertures, means for supporting the cables at the upper end, means for sup porting the cables at the lower end, hollow cylindrical sleeves on the cables between said louvers, said sleeves having arcuate end portions between which the thin louvers are free to tilt, at least one pull means secured to one edge of the louvers for tilting all of the louvers on said cables when pulled in one direction, spring means for tilting the louvers in the opposite direction when the pull means is slackened, said pull means embodying a plurality of pull cables employed adjacent to one edge of the louvers, a pulley for each said cable above said louvers, operating means for moving the pull cable on the pulley more remote therefrom, and releasable clamping means on the ends of the other pull cables secured to said first pull cable whereby all of said pull cables are moved when said first pull cable is moved by said operating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 950,746 Chamberlin Mar. 1, 1910 1,344,561 Poehner June 22, 1920 1,590,886 Carella June 29, 1926 2,559,058 Woodberry July 3, 1951 2,646,741 Castle July 28, 1953 2,759,573 Schwab Aug. 21, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 821,005 France Nov. 25, 1937 200,451 Australia Nov. 25, 1955 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE ADMISSION OF LIGHT, INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF LOUVERS OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH AND OF A WIDTH GREATER THAN THE SPACING THEREOF, SUPPORTING CABLES PASSING THROUGH SAID LOUVERS, SPACING ELEMENTS ON SAID CABLES FOR SPACING THE LOUVERS FROM EACH OTHER, LOOPS ON THE END OF THE CABLES, A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF EYES ON TOP AND BOTTOM SUPPORTS FOR RECEIVING SAID LOOPS, A SPRING BETWEEN THE LOWER LOOPS AND SAID SUPPORTING EYES, PULL CABLES AT ONE EDGE OF SAID LOUVERS HAVING SAID SPACING MEANS THEREON BETWEEN THE LOUVERS, SPRINGS CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID PULL CABLES TO SAID BOTTOM EYES, PULLEYS ON SAID UPPER EYES THROUGH WHICH SAID PULL CABLES EXTEND, AND OPERATING MEANS FOR PULLING SAID PULL CABLES TO THEREBY TILT SAID LOUVERS ON SAID SUPPORTING CABLE. 